This invention pertains to livestock feeders of a type adapted to place dry, ground feed into a trough where it can readily be reached by livestock, and represents an improvement on such a feeder as disclosed in my previous U.S. Pat. No. 3,962,998.
In that previous patent, I disclosed a feeder using a slide mechanism to drop a measured amount of feed into a trough in response to being moved from a filling position to a discharge position. The slide was moved from one position to another by a lever pivotted at its lower end, and extending upward to a handle and with means extending from the slide to the lower end attached to the lever intermediate between its end. In one position, a compartment in the slide was open to feed dropping by gravity from an upper bin, but was closed beneath. When slid to the discharge position, the opening from the upper bin was either cut off or was open to an alternate compartment, and the original compartment was opened at its lower end to discharge the material from the compartment into the trough.
The device of that invention worked reasonably well, but there were some shortcomings. Among those shortcomings was the fact that too often, there were bridgeovers within the sliding compartments. The sloping sides were not steep enough always to provide nearly complete dropping of the feed. Also, there was no possible adjustment in the amount of feed delivered while there was feed in the bin except by providing multiple drops. Thus, the user could measure by using two or three or four drops, but there was no way of measuring one-half of the amount of a single drop. Therefore, in order to use the device for more highly concentrated feeds or for the changing of the size of the feed compartments, it was necessary to remove the slide train to make the adjustment or to adjust by repeated movement of the slide. In order to remove the slide train, it was necessary to remove all the feed or to wait until the bins were empty. Another shortcoming of the previous device was the pivot point of the operating lever. That lever was pivotted very low on the device and frequently was in the mud, snow, and manure of the feed lot. In colder climates that led to occasional freezing of the device at the pivot so that it was difficult or impossible to operate. The lever was also subject to being bumped by livestock with consequent injury either to the livestock, the feeder or to both.
By my new invention, I provide a device in which the amount of feed delivered can be adjusted by varying the length of stroke of the operating lever. Also, the compartments have walls that are substantially vertical so that there is less likelihood of bridging. I also provide a somewhat more compact lever system for operating my device.